"It's been a fantastic journey but he's left us with a legacy and it will continue on," John Perriam, of Bendigo Station, said.
Aged 16, and said to be in pain through age-related illnesses, Shrek was put down yesterday morning, on the advice of a vet.
"His wellbeing was our number one priority.
He's been under the care of a vet and we were told it was time to spare him any more pain.
He was coming up 17 and that's an incredible age for a sheep.""It was a hard decision in some respects, but it's fitting that his journey ended the way it did, so peacefully," Mr Perriam said.
Shrek gained international fame in 2004.
The story of how shepherd Ann Scanlan caught the sheep with the mammoth fleece that had avoided being shorn for six years captured international attention.
Media from around the world reported on Shrek being shorn of his 22kg fleece.
He became the subject of three books and featured prominently in a fourth, raising several hundreds of thousands of dollars for the charity Cure Kids and Tarras School, and lifting the profile of the wool industry at the same time.
A marketing man once told Mr Perriam the worldwide exposure concerning Shrek contributed $100 million to the economy.
Cure Kids fundraising and business development director Josie Spillane said Shrek had raised more than $150,000 for the charity, which funded medical research into life-threatening illnesses that affected children.
The royalties from Mr Perriam's books - Dust to Gold and Shrek - The Story of a Kiwi Icon would continue to generate funds for the cause.
"Shrek has given Cure Kids a phenomenal fundraising opportunity and exposure and without the tenacity of the Perriams - John and Heather- this wouldn't have happened.
I have nothing but respect and admiration for them.
They never knew they were going to wake up one morning and be managing a celebrity sheep," Mrs Spillane said.
Ms Scanlan said she initially thought Mr Perriam was "stark raving mad" for publicising the fact that a sheep had evaded shearing for so long.
"You don't show people you've got woollies like that up in the hills.""But he came at a time when the world needed a story like his, and it's appropriate that a charity like Cure Kids has benefitted."Mr Perriam said mail arrived for Shrek at Bendigo Station almost every day and the sheep had a huge fan base of people from all walks of life.
"It's been a fantastic journey, he's enriched so many people's lives and his legacy will go on."Shrek will be cremated and his ashes scattered on Bendigo Station and on Mount Cook.
Mr Perriam said a bronze statue of the famous sheep was likely to be placed in the village of Tarras.
His life and times
- April 2004: Found by musterer Ann Scanlan on Bendigo Station.
- April 28, 2004: Shorn live on national television in Cromwell; fleece weighs 22kg.
- May 3, 2004: Meets Prime Minister Helen Clark and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos at Parliament.
- November 29, 2004: Launches Tarras School book Shrek the Famous Hermit Sheep of Tarras
- November 28, 2006: Shorn on iceberg 90km off Otago coast.
- November 28, 2008: Retires, after being shorn at Auckland's Sky Tower; flown home on private jet.
- May 2010: Visits Eden Park, Auckland, to promote Shrek - The Story of a New Zealand Icon by John Perriam.
Quotes
"We've got fond memories of the old boy. He's done us proud and we'll do him proud." Owner, John Perriam.
"He made an enormous impact to a small country school like ours. Because of the proceeds from the books, we could afford to buy resources that we would never have afforded otherwise." Tarras School principal, Noelene Pullar.
"It's the end of an era. He was an ambassador for the sheep world." Ann Scanlan, who found the hermit sheep.
"This was a feel-good story that will live on and has already made such a difference to the lives of thousands of children." Josie Spillane, of Cure Kids.
"Shrek symbolised our district's rugged beauty and he was used to benefit such a good charity and along the way Central Otago benefited as well." Central Otago mayor Tony Lepper.
